vintagehound

Im still here too. I can not believe it it already close to 3 years ago... I lost a difficult 55 lbs in the first year after surgery....was down to a low 209..had a large cyst and one ovary removed and bam, Pregnant. I now have the most beautiful baby in the world....not bias of course. I wanted a baby for a long time and am so glad I got the band. Unfortunately, I got unfilled in the third month of pregnancy and have been unfilled since! I did really well during the pregnancy and kept my weight down. After birth I was up to 225, only gained 15lbs. My baby just turned one year and I am still unfilled. Now up to 245. I am so frustruated and dissapointed in myself. I still have restriction, but obviously not enough. I am all the way in Chico, way north of sacramento and have not had luck finding a fill doc here. I am so ready! Working on a couple leads for a fill. I don't want to go to TJ for it, it is so far! I am still glad it all has happened this way and looking foward to a fill. Just came peeking around to get some encouragement. Thanks to all of you still posting it gives me drive to see how well you have done. I know I can get down again and my daughter is amazing!

I had lap band surgery July 2006, have PCOS, lost 50 lbs after surgery and got pregnant june 07, after 14 years of waiting! My pregnancy went great, I did have my band unfilled for the pregnancy. I also did develop gestational diabetes at the end of my pregnancy. I have a gorgeous baby girl she is 8 months now, I am so happy. It has been a challenge since birth to not gain weight, I am still unfilled. Estrogen is stored in fat, so loosing weight gets the horomones working right.......good luck it will happen, Im sure! Zoe

I have been so busy...... someone asked if I also saw other symptoms go away in addition to getting pregnant. My periods got so regular and I hadn't had reg. ones in years! Also, they say it is harder to lose with PCOS, and I think that is true. However, stick with it and a healthy low carb diet and we can do it. I also notice a little less hair growth where we don't want it.........I am now almost 10 weeks prego, and getting excited! My Midwife says the weight loss is what did it, cause fat stores estrogen and loosing the fat helped all my horomones act right. Before lapband surgery, my ultrasound showed a chain gang of eggs in my ovary, (typical PCOS) obviously that is not the case anymore. Good luck all of you, we can do this!

What a year it has been! I am so glad I went on this journey and I love my band. I had the band put on July 21, 06 and was told by the doctor I had a large cyst on my ovary. After coming home and finally going in for cyst surgery, It had grown to the size of a watermellon and went up to my ribs, it was 8 lbs of fluid! I had to have major surgery to get it out. I was laid up a bit and lost my right ovary. Due to only having one ovary and PCOS, I really thought I would need medication later to get pregnant. Here I am July of 07, 53 lbs down and only 3 lbs away from onederland and bang, PREGNANT! I am 35, have never been pregnant before, and suffering nausea. I am at a quandry about weather to have a unfill, I was at perfect restriction! I would love to hear from any other pregnant banders to share their past or current experiences. I will be 2 months at the end of this month. I am so glad I lost the weight I did before I got prego! Please any advice and information from pregnant bandsters is appreciated! I love all you guys for your support!

I have PCOS and had lapband surgery one year ago today. I have lost 53 lbs, and I am almost 2 months pregnant!!!!!!Suprise, suprise! I have been with the same man 19 years, I am 35 years old, and this is the first pregnancy ever for me. Obviously, the weight loss and low carb diet helped. Also I only have one ovary from a cyst episode. There is hope ladies!!!!!!

I am almost 2 months prego, and starving!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get nausea if I wait to long to eat. I can smell everything too, most of it not pleasant. This was all a suprise to me at 35, never pregnant before. I am at a perfect restriction and can not decide weather to get a unfill, I am so hungry, but can't eat many things cause of the fill. I feel your pain!

hi I live in Chico, California which is north of Sacramento.

Don't worry, everything will be fine. You will see what I mean when you get there about assembly line......They usually book at the Palacio, if you want ask for two nights they will do it. They ask when you are doing pre op. All the staff for Kuri speaks english, it is the nurses in the hospital after the operation that is a bit challenging (two seperate entities). It was really a smooth and fast experience, they are doing so many a day it is amazing. Everything went so smooth for me, I didn't trip on what I was doing until after it was done! I assume you are trveling with someone, bring a couple of pillows for them in the room, and you will want one to hold one on your stomach for the ride back to the border. They will send you away for your last meal before surgery, make it a good one and eat a lot of fiber so you go #2 in the morning. A lot of us get constipated after surgery and it hurts to push......

I was really stuck after my last fill. I could hardly get Water down. It was awfull. I waited one week and starving and dehydrated, I finally went back to Mexico and had some taken out. I did learn a couple of interesting things by being to full..... 1. Hot liquid goes down better and later in the day after drinking hot water, I could almost eat some mushies. 2. Over stimulation of your salivary glands can cause infection, I got one and my mouth was dying!!!!! I would make two cups of saliva for every one cup of water while I was stuck. 3. I will never leave mexico again the same day as my fill, I will stay overnight to make sure it is right. 4. My perfect fill level is 2.1 I reccomend getting unfilled just a tiny bit, for me I went from 2.4 to 2.1 and it is just right. Good Luck!

Edie- you are an exercise machine and I wish I was as inspired as you! Donna Marie- Congratulations!!!!! Vegas is not for me either..... Paulax- Congrats on onderland!! we were banded the same day, you are whoopin my but to onderland, but I am close behind at 211 or so... I know I am terrible about keeping in touch, but I do lurk around and keep tabs on you all, you are all doing so well!!!!!!! It is coming off slow for me but it is going down...I have to motivate for curves, all the best success stories have exercise in them, darn. Hope everyone else is doing great!

I was banded by Kuri July 06. The experience was fine. It is assembly line surgery, different from here but safe and quick. Evertyhing went smooth for me and my other band sisters (there were 6 of us). Dr Kuri is not chatty, all about business. I hope you are staying at the hotel for a couple of days after, I did and was so glad cause I was very uncomfortable. Trying to sign language constipation to the pharmacy down the street was interesting........... Hospital Angeles is very nice, I have been back for 2 fills. The nurses do not speak great english, so brush up on your spanish. Leave your car at the border and have Miguel pick you up at Mexicoach. I reccomend the Palacio Azteca hotel, Kuri will pay for 2 nights, use them, it is my best advice. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was banded July 21 06, still experience port irritation at the end of the day, especially if I wear jeans or do a lot of bending...........seems like a lot of banders still have port irritation. It will get more tollerable though!

I haven't experienced jealousy per say, but I have noticed some of my larger friends seem like their own self esteem is challenged when they see me looking so good. I hate that they feel that way and I get kind of hurt when they say things like "you had help". They act like this has not taken the most amount of will power in my life! It is so hard! My hubby has some insecure moments now too, I look good in my new jeans! I think they get scared because they know that other men are ruthless out there. I have a big clothing store and I notice a difference now with my customers. Many of them are college and before, the young skinnies in their jeans that barely cover crotch, maybe didn't value my advice so much on what to try on, now they are more responsive. It is fun to finally be representing what I sell by wearing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing to watch the way anyone treats us now verses before, and how much prejudice is out there toward fat people! I can see especially the difference in the way men talk to me now verses before!

I had surgery in Mexico and go back there for my fills they are free and it is so easy to get from the San diego airport to the border, I walk across and am back before the day is over and even have flown home that night. The cabs cost a total of $10.00, and airfare is cheap if you keep your eyes open for deals. Southwest.......... Good Luck

I do it every time I eat protein. Sometimes after I chewed and chewed, it can go down with a little sauce and sometimes I can tell it wont so I spit it out. I hate eating in public anymore, I always have so much waste on my plate and am always taking unchewable food out of my mouth. When you have a good fill, like I do now, some days and times it goes down easier than others. I always eat to swallow it but many times just chew and spit. Ironic we are using a anorexic food tool.......I think if you chew on a piece of steak to oblivion, we do get most of the nutrients from its juices. We gotta do what we gotta do....Concentrate on getting your nutrients in and don't worry about being "bad"!

I thought it was time to get a direct face shot up here, I can see a big difference now. The recent pick is no cheating, no sticking out the face, and straight on..........ya know the kind we have been avoiding... next will be a body shot. The before with hubby is 1 year before surgery, and the other before is one week before surgery(posing no less to try to rid the chin....) July 21 o6. The after pic is from April 28th '07. It has been slow for me, but steady, and I am half way there! I have lost 50lbs since the one week before pic, ten more #s and I enter onederland!

Any docs or nurses out there? I had a fill last week in Mexico with fluoroscope. I got home and realized I was too full. I tried all week to make it work hoping it would loosen up but was difficult event ot drink water. I drank hot water only for 7days. I was able to get some soup down. I went back to mexico for a un fill yesterday. Before I went I noticed the roof of my mouth was swollen. I did spit up a million times while I was stuck during the week and sipped hot water through a straw so I figured I was sore from all of that and slight dehydration. after my fill yesterday, the roof of my mouth which was still swollen, became numb. Also my jaw hurts around my gum line. Mostly the left side of my mouth is painfull and swollen. Could I be having an allergic reaction to the Barium and if so, what is the treatment. I saw online that allergies to Barium are accumulative. I drank it three times last week and twice yesterday. Also I have a slight fever. Thanks to anyone that can help or anyone with stories about their mouth getting painfull after spitting up too much.

Jachut said it well! I don't really save money at the grocery store, but I do throw away more leftovers........I eat organic and preservative free, it is not cheap. Also I have to buy a lot of my own food, but still provide food for meals for my husband. Sometimes there is crossover. If we do eat out, which is not often anymore, and an area where we have saved a lot of money, we sometimes just order one dish and a side. our bill is so little...

Oh my gosh Peggy! I am so glad you are OK! I have lost all faith myself in most of the medical community as of late and have become my own physician more often than not for success..... I have my band and am still working on getting to goal, so I am not speaking from experience...It seems to me though that you still have old fears, but you have a new routine and probably don't give yourself enough credit to stick to it by habit by now. Try to concentrate on getting better, rehydrating, drink ensure or something too, and focus all your positive energy foward that you can do this even without the band, trust yourself. Our doubts and fears can often get the better of us and we sabotage. I am so glad you are home and recovering we were all worried about you.

big thunder, dont give up! If they give you a final no, and you really want it, make it happen anyways! Get a loan, borrow money, sell stuff, cashpay for it if you have to. Many docs in the US will do it cash pay for 12-17 thousand, I self paid in Mexico for 8000 dollars and did not have to jump through any hoops. In fact, July 1st, 06 I decided to do it, July 21st three weeks later I had surgery. The only criteria they had there was passing the EKG. I am not pushing self pay only giving you hope, if you really want it you can make it happen some way! Good luck and check out the lawer Faith Md wrote about above.

I always envy you pears..... no but little legs and a big apple top for me! Losing just me I think you are so sweet and I love to see your progress! Way to go! Your daughter is friggin adorable!!!!!!!!!

I have been doing extensive searching on the internet, and I think I may have a Parotid infection which is the main salivary gland located betweent he ear and jaw. It releases saliva by the upper molars. Also, there are minor ducts on roof of mouth. I am going to go see my dentist on monday. I am so wary of docs these days, I feel like they never listen to the details that may be important. It is hard to assume that they will understand how much spit I made due to the band being so tight. Most docs dont even understand what the lapband is............I really like my dentist, I am going to beg them to let him see me tomorrow. My jaw is in terrible pain, the roof of my mouth is not as swollen or numb any more but still hurts. All the pain is on the left side. Nothing seems to help much.........I saw on one site that benadryl can cause dry mouth, so I stopped taking it. The only thing that has helped was liquid ibuprofen (childrens), but I try not to take it because it can irritate the stomach.

hi I was banded in July of 2006. I was not much more than you, but shorter 5'2 and 252 as of surgery day. I am so glad I did it. I am 35, struggled for a long time and decided to go for it. I self paid in Mexico with Dr. Kuri. I do think that I could have lost the weight without surgery, but I have no doubt that I would have gained it back had I not had the band put on. When I hit my first plateau, I knew it was ok because it was not going up and I knew eventually it would keep going down and it has. I am 16 lbs away from my first goal of getting under 200 lbs!!! It has been a long long time! This is not a easy fix and has taken a lot of will power, don't kid yourself or believe the commercials which I think suck! Good luck!

I have a message into him, he is in surgery today.....I hope he calls me back. I took some Benadryl and a anti inflamatory(liquid of course)and feel a little better........I did see on the web that a reaction to Barium can include numbness to face or mouth and a hot face. I have both. Has anyone on here had a a sore mouth after being too full too long and spitting so much?

I have 16lbs to go to be in onederland! I am 35, and have not been there since about 1989, after I moved out with my husband...........I am going to treat myself to a day at the spa when I reach it for a facial and beauty makeover. Maybe I should celebrate with a bit of shopping too.....Good luck everyone!!!!